Perceval House Redevelopment to Include Twenty Storey Tower Block | |||||
Council give go ahead for massive project in central Ealing
The Council has approved a scheme to redevelop their main administrative building at Perceval House resulting in a 20 storey tower block being built in the centre of Ealing. As part of the deal the Council will get new office space and a library and have the option to acquire the half of the residential units in the development which are classed as affordable. The Cabinet Paper states that “The height and massing of the design creates limited intrusions above the roof line of the Town Hall.” The other bid from Muse that was being considered was proposing an even taller main building for the development which would have been 24 storeys high. The council approved the development agreement with the preferred bidder providing a long lease or leases of 250 years for the Perceval House site. Perceval House and car park site is an area of 1.29ha (3.18 acres). The entire site is in Council freehold ownership and the vast majority of the site is occupied by the Council for office uses at present although increased use of online services means that the space is underutilised. In the report to Cabinet in October 2015 it was stated that much of its electrical/mechanical services such as air conditioning, lifts, plumbing in the 30 year old building are coming towards the end of their life and that significant expenditure would be required in the next 10-20 years to keep it functioning. The proposed development would provide new office accommodation of up to 10 storeys which will be the Council’s main base. This will comprise 100,000 ft2 net internal area (NIA) of new offices in Phase1 and a Customer Service Centre/Library of 2,739 sq (convert to Ft2) m NIA at another point during the project. The Council also will have an option to purchase a further 16,500 ft2 (NIA) of office space to be delivered should the need arise. The residential portion of the development will include 471 flats just under half of which will be classed as affordable and are likely to be managed on behalf of the Council by Broadway Living. The 20 storey tower will be residential and will be situated in the north eastern corner of the site. The development agreement is due to be signed in November 2017 with the planning design being put up for approval in March 2018. The Council would start moving out of Perceval House in September 2018 and the final phase of the development would be complete in March 2025. Councillor Julian Bell, leader of Ealing Council, said, “Our offices are in a key town centre location, but at the moment we aren’t making the best use of this important site. “To think that they are also keeping in reserve, a developer who initially wanted to put in a 26 storey skyscraper; but have now settled on 24 stories on the advice of the planning department. This decision smacks of the Council using its influence as landowner and making it clear, that Labour’s commitments is to the developers and not residents. “
July 12, 2017
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